When you don't feel connected to spirit

Posted on May 12 2017

I love this contribution by Joy Arnold, in fact I can completely relate to it. Life can certainly be chaotic, messy, difficult, and confusing. Like most of you, I can probably say that I feel BEST when I'm connected and making an effort to workout and meditate but I definitely don't always want to and I definitely don't always make it a priority. As a woman, I have found that we take on so much external pressures and internalize them and then feel guilt when we can't do everything. There are a few ways I like to deal with pressure and stress when they come up- and believe me, NYC is a breeding ground for pressure and stress! The biggest solution that I have found that truly helps me to disconnect-is working out and mindfulness. Being aware of why you feel the way you feel first, then physically moving it through and out of your body. Exercise got me through a very difficult time in my life which I will share about in another post. There is literally nothing a 45 minute spin class or run outside in the park, or a quick yoga flow, or even just listening to music can't fix. At the very least it will give you some space around whatever is it you're dealing with. What are your favorite ways to realign with your highest self when you just don't feel like it? Share below!

Alex

Blog contribution by Joy Arnold

This Is No Time To Be Spiritual!

How many times have you felt this way? During a crisis, or maybe a time when you only had two cents to your name, you’ve been sick for weeks, just lost your job, maybe a betrayal by one of your closest friends, whatever it may be…amid the chaos…someone says something like “This too shall pass” or “Everything happens for a reason”. And in that moment, you want to scream...”Now is not the time to lecture me with some spiritual crap!”. There have been a few moments I’ve wanted to drop a few choice words that may…or may not have…include an F bomb at some well-intended soul (I didn’t though!). We’ve all felt it. No matter how spiritually evolved we are, we are human! We aren’t perfect. And that means that sometimes at our lowest point we don’t want to ‘think positive’ or ‘bepositive’. We just want to feel pissed off, feel sad, or feel frustrated. It’s ok to allow those emotions for moment. Never stifle or resist your emotions. Feel them! The important thing is to not linger here. Don’t dwell in the home of anger or despair. Pass through it like a visitor. Sometimes those intense emotions are a catalyst for change. So move through but keep moving. It is in these moments that our highest potential for spiritual growth exists.

You have to see darkness in order to see the light. As humans, we must feel sadness, anger, or despair in order to appreciate joy, peace, and happiness. Those emotions that are heavy are here for us to learn and grow from. Just like a beautiful perennial flower lays dormant in darkness only to blossom and flourish for a new season. We are meant to grow and flourish after a period of darkness. It’s in our nature! Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying we’re supposed to struggle as human beings. Not at all! Quite the opposite. But life is not perfect and it is inevitable that over the course of a lifetime, you will have life experiences that you feel are heavy and dark. What’s important is what you choose to do with those experiences. Notice I said choose. We have a choice in every thought, emotion, feeling, and action. So, when you’re in the middle of an experience that has you feeling angry, lost, or sad…feel it. But just for a moment. And then make the choice to blossom from the wound you once bled from. There is nothing more empowering than that!